Business Beat

FOR THE RECORD: (May 27, 1995): Dr. Mark Kontos, a Spokane opthamologist, has opened an office in Hayden, but continues to maintain his Spokane Valley office. An item in the May 21 Business Beat column incorrectly implied the Spokane office had closed.

NEW FACES:

John Washburn has joined Fidelity Associates as personal insurance manager. Washburn was formerly with Safeco Insurance Co.

Kathy Walsh has joined QualMed Health Plan as MIS manager. Walsh is a certified network engineer and previously worked for the Nevada Supreme Court in Carson City, Nev., and for CalFarm Insurance Co. in Sacramento, Calif., as network manager.

Drs. Donovan Clark and Kanchan Clark have joined the Pine Crest Hospital and Counseling Centers in Coeur d’Alene. Both attended The Medical University of South Carolina and are board certified in child, adolescent and general adult psychiatry. Donovan Clark previously was an assistant professor and attending child and forensic psychiatrist at USC. Kanchan Clark previously served as medical director of New Hope Treatment Center in South Carolina and medical director of Rivercrest Psychiatric Hospital.

Metropolitan Property and Casualty Insurance Co. has hired Jan Ellenson as a property and casualty specialist at its Spokane sales office, 10015 N. Division. Ellenson will provide marketing and servicing support for customers in the Spokane market areas.

Dr. Mark Kontos, a board-certified ophthalmologist, is joining the staff of Kootenai Medical Center, and opening an office in Hayden, Idaho. Kontos received his medical degree from St. Louis University School of Medicine, and completed an ophthalmology residency at San Diego Hospital. He recently had a practice in Spokane.

Dr. Thomas Campbell has joined the staff of Kootenai Medical Center’s Oncology Services Department. Campbell received his medical degree from the University of Florida, Gainsville and completed a residency in internal medicine, oncology and hematology. He has been affiliated with Southern California Kaiser-Permanente since 1965.

Sandra Baum has joined the staff of By Owner Reality Network, Coeur d’Alene. Baum has been a licensed real estate agent since 1985.

Mike DeCesare has joined RXL Pulitzer as senior vice president. DeCesare will be involved in RXL Pulitzer’s current expansion in Missouri and an overseas expansion, but will remain based in Spokane.

MOVING UP:

Michele Young has been promoted to manager of claims at QualMed Health Plan. Young has been employed at QualMed for seven years, most recently as supervisor of claims.

Candy Block has been promoted to director of internal operation for QualMed Health Plan. Block has been with QualMed for five years.

Earl Smith has been promoted to manufacturing engineer at American Electronic Sign. Smith will help oversee the company’s manufacturing facilities. He has been with American Electrinic Sign since 1993 and was previously a sign fabricator for the company.

Kathy McCandless has been named business services director for Kootenai Medical Center. She most recently served as the business services coordinator.

The board of directors of Bank of America Idaho has named Thomas J. Harvill and Marlene R. Martin as vice presidents. Harvill joined Bank of America in 1977 and has spent all his career in Eastern Washington and Northern Idaho. He has served as manager of the bank’s Sandpoint branch since 1991.

Martin joined Bank of America as manager of the Osburn branch in 1989. Before that, she had been with West One Bank since 1974.

STARTING UP:

Juli Call has opened Genuine Maytag Home Appliance Center at 3223 N. Argonne Road. The store offers the full line of Maytag appliances along with a complete parts department, service department and some used appliances. Call and her brothers Chris and Matt Kunz are all trained appliance repair technicians.

Terry Martin has opened a Speedy Sign A Rama USA franchise at 101 N. Argonne Road, Suite B. The business creates and install vehicle-boat-aircraft lettering, window graphics, magnetics, yard signs, banners, neon and nameplates, among others.

Dana Commercial Credit, a division of the Dana Corp., has recently opened an office in Spokane’s Tapio Center. Dana Commercial Credit is an international microcomputer leasing and finance company. Phil Silva, a Whitworth College graduate, is vice president of national field sales.

Strategic Solutions, a human resources training and development firm, is expanding into Spokane. Strategic Solutions helps companies and organizations improve productivity and quality through management development, supervisory training, team development, sales and customer service training, and strategic planning. Tim Feagan is the principal.

Alyssa Swartz has opened a private law practice at 200 N. Fourth Street, Coeur d’Alene. Swartz will specialize in the areas of criminal and juvenile criminal defense and in family law. She was previously a deputy prosecuting attorney and a deputy attorney general.

EXPANDING:

JoAnne Bone and Staci Clary resident owners of Inpho-Information On Hold have expanded their client base from Eastern Washington to all of Washington and part of Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, and Colorado. InphoInformation On Hold writes, produces, installs and services custom messages for business that inform callers of important facts, products and services while holding.

TRANSACTIONS:

Bruce Morelan has became co owner of Rod’s Electric Inc. He joins owners Dick Kay and Don Barth. Morelan has extensive experience in personnel management, marketing, regulation and community interaction.

KUDOS:

Wendle Ford Sales has been awarded Ford Motor Co.’s Distinguished Achievement Award for Quality for 1994. The award honors dealership personnel for outstanding performance in satisfying customers when they purchase a vehicle or visit for service. Wendle has been a Ford dealer in Spokane since 1943.

APPOINTED:

Roberta Greene, vice president of Empire Ford Inc., has joined the Empire Health Services Board of Directors, which governs Deaconess Medical Center, Valley Hospital and Medical Center and St. Luke’s Extended Care Center. Greene has been vice president in charge of sales development at Empire Ford since 1986. She previously was a professor of business and economics at Central Piedmont Community College in Charlotte, N.C.

Steve Herbison, president and CEO of URM Stores of Spokane, was named chairman of the board of the National Grocers Association. Herbison has been a member of the NGA board and executive committee as the secretarytreasurer and as vice chairman. He joined URM in 1958 and was named president and chief executive officer in 1989.

Katherin Gandy an associate with CENTURY 21 Randock, has been appointed to the Community Colleges Real Estate Advisory Board by Spokane Falls Community College and CENTURY 21 Randock. Gandy has 18 years of experience in the real estate industry and 16 years of experience as a real estate professor in the community college system, instructing law, appraisal, brokerage management, business management and fundamentals and practices.

Sara Marks was selected as an Advisory Board Member of the Department of Natural Resources. Marks is branch manager of Wyatt Engineering. Marks’ responsibilities as a board member will included establishing survey standards and guidelines for procedures and monumenting boundaries.

EVENTS:

Tuesday - Spokane Home Builders Association presents a construction site safety workshop at 8 a.m. at Shilo Inn, 923 E. 3rd. Cost: $35 for members, $50 for non-members. Pre-registration is required; call 325-3184 to sign up or for more information.

Tuesday - Resource Computing Inc. and Phones Plus sponsor Business After Hours at 1048 N. Third, Coeur d’Alene. Tips will be provided on how to use computers and telephones to create more customers, sales and profits. Call 208-667-1267 for information.

Wednesday - Partners of the Greater Spokane Area holds its spring conference from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Red Lion Inn. For more information, contact: Jim Bowles, 921-5119.

Wednesday and Thursday- The community colleges Small Business Development Center presents a class on basic taxes for small business and home-based business from 6-9 p.m. at Spokane Intercollegiate Research and Technology Institute (SIRTI), 665 N. Riverpoint Blvd. Cost: $45; call 358-2050 for more information or to register.

Thursday - David Doeringsfeld, manager of the Port of Lewiston, is the guest speaker for the Moscow-Latah County Economic Development Council general membership luncheon at noon at the Moscow Hotel. Cost: $7.50 per person. Call 885-3801 to make reservations by Monday.

Thursday and May 1 - The community colleges Small Business Development Center presents a class on how and why to develop personnel policy manuals from 6-9 p.m. at SIRTI, 665 N. Riverpoint Blvd. Cost: $45; call 358-2050 for more information or to register.

May 30 - The Service Corps of Retired Executives provides business counseling to potential and existing small business owners/operators at these locations: Lewis-Clark State College SBDC at L-CSC, Lewiston, 9-noon, call: 208-799-2465; TRIDEC SBDC, 901 N. Colorado, 1-4 p.m., call: 735-1000.

May 31 - The Service Corps of Retired Executives provides business counseling to potential and existing small business owners/operators at these locations: Panhandle Area Council, 11100 Airport Drive, Hayden, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., call: 208-772-0584.

CONVENTIONS:

Monday-Tuesday - U.S. Department of Labor and Industries/OSHA, voluntary protection programs, Cavanaugh’s River Inn.

Wednesday-Thursday - Washington Wastewater Collection Personnel Association, regional meeting, Ramada Inn.

Thursday-Saturday - Washington Interscholastic Activities Association, spring fest - AAA state championships, citywide.

Thursday-Saturday - Mrs. Washington International annual pageant, WestCoast Ridpath Hotel.

Friday-Sunday - Boise National Soccer Club, regional meeting, Red Lion Inn.

Friday-May 30 - American Truck Historical Society, annual spring national symposium, Cavanaugh’s Inns.

ILLUSTRATION: 12 Photos

MEMO: Do you want to submit an item for “Business Beat?” Send a brief press release to: Bill Sallquist, P.O. Box 2160, Spokane WA, 99210-1615. Photos will be used, space permitting, with new staff additions, promotions and new businesses. Put names on backs of photos. If you want a photo back, write “WILL CALL” on the back and pick it up at the newspaper reference library. Allow three weeks for publication.